Method for applying carbon to sheets



June 25, 1946. J. A. LA HAT-rE rsr AL METHOD FOR APPLYING CARBON TQ SHEETS Original Filed June 20,' 1942 a2 f .5f u. lll )wml l [i KRL-WE `mf June 25, 1946. -1. A. LA HAT-rE ETAL, i 2,402,559

METHOD FOR` APPLYING CARBON TO SHEETS Original Filed June 20. 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 NvEN-roR Jmes A. LAHATTE, BY ROBERT B. 5mm-a Y f X ATTORNEYS June 25, 1946. J. A. LA HATTE ETAL 4METHOD FOR APPLYING CARBON TO SHEETS original Filed June 2o, 1942 e sheets-sheet :s

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METHOD FOR APPLHNG CARBON To SHEETSy original Filed June go, 1942 e sheets-'sheet 4 ATTC'RNEYS June 25, 1946. J. A. LA HATTE ET AL 2,402,559

yM''JI'OID FOR PPLYING CARBON T0 SHEETS n l Original Filed June 20,' 1942 GSheets-Sheet 5 J. A. LA HATTE ET AL Jrune 25, 1946.

-CAEBQN To SHEETS METHOD FOR APPLYING Original Filed June 20, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS JAMES ALAHATTE RosERr 5.5mm

BY f

f ATTORNEYS L c a as be E LLM Patented June as, 194s METHOD FR PLG CARBON T SHEETS .lames La Hatte, Atlanta, Ga., and Robert B. Smith, Dayton, Uhio, assignorsto The Reynolds & Reynolds Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of (lliio riginal application .l une A20, 1942, Serial No. 447,850. Divided and this application January 11, 1943, Serial No. 472,012

4 Claims. i

It is another object of the invention to provide.

a method of applying liquid carbon upon a paper sheet or web wherein the carbon applying apparatus is adapted to apply carbon upon the paper sheet or web simultaneous with receiving car-- bon from a` suitable source of supply.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method for applyingv liquid carbon upon a paper sheet or web wherein the carbon applying apparatus is moved with respect to the paper sheet or web and with respect to a carbon supply apparatus periodically to apply the carbon upon tll'el paper web or sheet at periodic spaced intervals, and to supply the carbon applying apparatus with liquid carbon only when carbon is being applied upon the paper sheet or web.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a methodto apply carbon to limited, regularly recurrent areas of a moving strip of material. such. as paper, by imparting positive rotation; with a surface speed equal to that of said moving strip, to rotatable carbon-applying means closely adjacent said strip, then positively moving said applying means into and out of contact with said strip in timed sequence with the movement thereof, whereby carbon areas of the exact dimension desired are applied in precisive .relation to said strip and any datum line, perforations, and/or printed matter thereon.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following .de-1 scription.

ln the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the carbon applying apparatus of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

, 2 anism for` producing vibration of the vibrator rolls, taken along line 'I l-of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the gear train for driving the vibrator rolls taken along line @-8 of Figs. 4 and '7.

Fig. 9 is an elevationa1 view of typical work producedv upon the machine of this invention.

Fig. 10 is a. side elevational View of a` machine for handlinga continuous web through a plurality of paper handling units, one of which isth'e carbon applying unit of this invention.

The carbon applying apparatus of this invention consists of a. frame it upon which a'pair of upwardly extending brackets il and lilare secured uponopposite sides of the frame id. A pair of paper sheet or web :feedingy rolls i3 and it is Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 4 6 of Fig. 3, plac.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of f a portion of the apparatus taken along line 5 5,

of Fig. 2, showing the gear trains for driving the variousrolls of theapparatus.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vibrator rolls taken along line 6 8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the mechsuitably bearinged in the brackets it and i2 and are arranged in parallel relation therebetween.

A feed roll l5 is disposed in parallel relationship A with the feed roll It within a support table I6 upon which the paper sheet or web rests in its passage to the feed rolls ,i3 and ll. A slot lll is provided in the table lo so that the surface of the roll l5 can be disposed slightly above the upper surface of the table i6. One end of the feed roll i5 is bearinged in an arm it extending from. the bracket ii while the opposite end of the feed roll is bearinged in a bar i9 secured to the bracket I2. The feed rolls I3 and It are also bearinged in the bar i9 at one end thereof.

Each of the feed rolls l, lli and l5 has a beveled gear 2li upon the shaft thereof disposedvthrough a gear train which will be hereinafter described. l

The carbon applying unit 25 consists of a pair of frame members 23- and 24 retained in spaced parallel relationship by means of the bars 26. A shaft 21 supports the frame members 23 and 2t and is bearinged in the bracket members Il l and I2 and thereby provides a pivot for the carbon applying unit 25.

Carbon applying rolls 28 (Figure 4) are-carried upon a shaft 29 suitably bearinged in the frame members 23 and 2l, as for example, by means of i theball bearings 3i). The carbon applying rolls 28 are adjustable axially upon the jshaft 29 so that they can be disposed at any selected position with .respect to a paper sheet or vweb passing thereover. It will be understood that any number of such rolls 28 may be provided, depending UDOn the number of rows of regularly recurrent carbon areas tolbe applied to any particular job. The rolls 28 may be secured to the shaft 29 by means of suitable set screws 3|. An electric heating unit 32 is disposed within the shaft 29 for heating the carbon applying rolls 28 and thus maintain the carbon in liquid form for application upon a paper web. The heating unit may be supported upon the frame members 23 and 24 by means of suitable brackets 33.

A carbon receiving roll 34 is suitably bearinged in the frame members28 and 24 and is disposed adjacent the lower end of the frame members for engaging `carbon supplying discs 35 supported upon a liquid carbon supply container 35. The carbon supplying discs are adapted to lightly engage the roll 34 for supplying carbon thereto. The roll 34 engages a transfer roll 31 that is suitably bearinged in the frame members 23 and Ztl. The transfer roll 31 in turn engages a pair of vibrating rolls 38 and 39, and they in turn engage the transfer rolls 4G and 4I, respectively, which in their turn engage the carbon applying rolls 28 for supplying liquid carbon thereto.' 'I'he rolls 31 to 4I inclusive are all suitably bearinged in the frame members 23 and 24 in parallel alignment with one another so that their entire surfaces engage for transferring carbon from the carbon receiving roll 34 to the carbon applying rolls 28. Electric heating elements 42 and 48 are disposed within the vibrator rolls 88 and 38 to heat the same and maintain the carbon in liquid form during its transfer from the transfer roll 31 tothe transfer rolls 4U and 4|.

The carbon supplying discs 35 are carried upon a shaft 44 supported upon the carbon supply container 38. The carbon supplying discs 35 are adjustable axially upon the shaft 44 to position the discs in alignment with cooperating carbon applying rolls 28 as shown in Fig. 4. The discs 35 may be secured to the shaft 44 by means of set screws 45.

The carbon supply container is adapted to be heated by means of an electric strip heater' 48 positioned within the walls of the container 36 for maintaining the temperature of the carbon therein sufficiently high to hold itin liquid form. The supply container 36 may be supported by means 'of a cart 41 having wheels 48 adapted to run upon tracks 49 for moving and guiding the cart and supply container with respect to the carbon receiving roll 34 of the carbon applying unit 25. One of the wheels for the cart 41 may .consist of a spur gear 50 adapted to ride upon the rack I. A screw 52 ex-tends through the supporting leg 53 for the gear 50 and is adapted to frictionally engage the gear to prevent its rotation and thus prevent movement of the cart 41 with respect to the carbon applying unit 25.

An impression roller 55 is supported upon the brackets I I and I2 by means of upwardly extending ears 58 and 51. respectively (Figure 2) and is disposed above the carbon applying rolls 28 so that a paper sheet or web can' be fed therebetween. Pressure rollers 58 and 58 are disposed' above the feed rollers I4 and I8, respectively for 4 maintain the rollers 58 and 59 in close adjacent relationship to the feed rollers I4 and I8, being adjusted by means of screws `88 and 89. Springs 10 and 1I retain the arms 60 and 8I in engagement with the screws 88 and 69 to maintain a predetermined adjusted relationship between the rollers 58 and 59 and the feed rollers I4 and I2, respectively.

Paper sheets 15 of a paper web are adapted to be fed from the table I6 to the feed roller I4 by means of the feed roll I5. 'Ihis feeding mechanism consists of a bell crank lever 12 pivoted upon the pivot pin 13 and having two arms 16 and 11 extending angularly from the arm 18 of the bell crank lever 12. The arm 18 carries a roller 19 that engages the surface of an actuating cam 58 carried upon a driven shaft 8lI the drive for the shaft 3l being hereinafter described. A spring 55 retains the roller 19 in engagement with the surface of the cam 80. The arm 16 of the bell crank lever 12 carries a roller 82 disposed above the feed roll I5 so that the paper sheet on web 'l5 can pass between the roll 82 and the feed roll i5. The arm 11 of the bellcrank lever 12 is disposed beneath the feed roll I5 and carries a stop pin 83 that is adapted to stop the end of the sheet 15 for properly positioning the same for advancement to the feed roll I4 so that carbon spots can be applied to the under surface of the sheet or web 15 by means of the carbon rolls 2l.

Rotation of the cam causes the roller 19 to ride upon the valley 84 and the land 85 of the cam 88. As long as the roller 18 engages the valley 84 the roller 82 will be out of engagement with the paper sheet or web 15 passing between the roller 52 and the feed roll I5. The sheet or web 15 is moved forward into engagement'with the stop pin 83 to prelocate the forward edge of the paper sheet lor web 15 for advancement to the feed roll I5. When the land 55 engages the roller 19 on the arm 18 of the bellcrank lever 12, the arms 18 and 11 will be moved downwardly as viewed in Fig. 3 so that the roller 82 will apply pressure upon the paper sheet or web 'I5v so that the feed roll I5 then advances the paper sheet or web 15 to the feed roll I4. It is, of course. understood that movement of the arm 11 removes the stop pin 53 from engagement with the edge of the paper sheet or web 15 so that the same can be advanced to the feed roll I4. This feed mechanism is synchronized with the operation of the elements of the machine in a manner hereinafter described.

As heretofore mentioned the carbon applying unit 25 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 21. The carbon applying unit is pivotally mounted to permit movement of the carbon applying rolls 28 with respect to the impression roller 55. Simultaneously, with 'this movement the carbon receiving roll 34 is moved into and out of engagement with the carbon applying discs 85 so that the carbon is supplied to the receiving roll 84 only when the carbon applying rolls are in applying pressure upon a paper sheet or web passing across the feed rollers I4 and I3. The pres-- sure rollers 58 and 59 are carried upon arms 40 and 8|, respectively that are pivoted to brackets 82 and 53, respectively, by means of pivot pins 84 and 55. 'I'he brackets 62-and53 are clamped uponsupporting brackets 55 and 51 that are secured to the bracket members II and I2 extending upengagement 'with a paper sheet or web 15. By so actuating the carbon applying unit the carbon is used from the unit for application upon a paper sheet or web 15 as rapidly as supplied to the carbon receiving roll 34. Therefore the carbon applying unit 25 does not become loaded with excess carbon in the intervals between the applications of carbon to the sheet or web 15.

A driven cam 98 (Figure 3) is provided for actuating the carbon applying unit 25 for pivot- I -ing the same upon the shaft 21 at the proper inwardly from the frame I8. The arms 58 and 5I u tervals for applying carbon to spot areas upon v the paper web or sheet 15. The cam 90 is secured to a driven shaft 9| and-is synchronized with the other mechanism of the machine in a manner hereinafter described. The cam 90 is provided with a pair of annular grooves 81 and 88 (Figure 2) adapted to receive cam segments 89. Screws 92 secure the cam segments 89 within the grooves 31 and 88. These segments 89 determine the interval of time that the carbon applying rolls 2B will be in engagement with the paper sheet or web 15. Either a Isingle segment can be used for controlling the engagement time lof the carbon applying rolls 28, or a plurality of segments can cooperate with one another to provide any` time interval desired and thus control the length of the carbon spot applied to the sheet or web 15. As shown inFg. 3 the cam segments 89 are separated from one another and therefore the carbon applying rolls are brought into engagement with the sheet or web twice for each revolution of the cam 90.

The segments '89 provide the lands on the cam 90 for actuating a bell crank lever 93 which Divots at gli to the frame and having a roller 95 on one end thereof and an adjusting screw 96 on the opposite end thereof adapted to Aengage the frame member 2t of the carbon applying. unit 25. The pivot 9d for the bell crank lever 93 is a shaft that extends between the frame members Il and l2, the lever 93 being secured to the shaft 9% by a set screw 91. A lever 98 is secured upon the shaft 9@ and retained from rotation by means of a set screw 99. The lever 98 is provided with an adjusting screw lull similar to the ymeans ofl a system of chain and gear drives.

shaft 9| for'the cam 99 carries a pulley |06 driven y 6 f I described are synchronized in their operation'by The by a belt |il1 from a suitable source of power suoli as an electric motor. An endless chain |09 their operation so that the cam 80 will operate.

the bell crank lever 12 to feed the paper web or sheet toward the carbonapplying rolls 28 at the proper interval of time inadvance of the actuation of the carbon applying unit by means of the cam segments 89 so that the sheet or web 15 will be in position above the carbon applying rolls 28 for applying carbon to the underneath side of the sheet at the proper spots on the sheet. Since the paper feeding cam 8D rotates once for each revolution of the carbon unit actuating' cam @0 it will be readily apparent that thecarbon spots will be applied upon the sheets passing over the carbon applying rolls at the same location on each sheet. I

An endless chain engages a second sprocket on the shaft 8| and engages a sprocket ||2 on carbon applying rolls 28 in engagement with the under side of the paper Isheet or 'web 15 passing between the carbon applying rolls 28 and the impression roll 55. As long as the roll 95 engages the cam segment 89 the carbon will be transferred from the carbon applying rolls 23 to the paper web or sheet 15. When the roll 95 rides in a valley 113| provided by the surface of the cam @Il the carbon applying unit will be rotated to prevent engagement of the carbon applying rolls with the Web or sheet 15 and prevent engagement of the carbon receiving roll with the carbon applying discs 35. Ihe edges of the cam segments S9 are sharp to provide rapid engagement and disengagement of the carbon rolls 28 with the paper sheet or web 15 so that a sharp line of carbon is provided at the point of engagement and disengagementwith the web 15 thereby improving the neatness and appearance 'of the ilnished product.

stop member m2 against the stop 103.110 make a clean break between the carbon applying rolls 28 the paper web or sheet 15 passing thereover.

the shaft de that carries the carbon applying discs whereby the discs are driven for rotation in the liquid carbon contained in the supply container 3%. The shaft 8| also carries a spur gear |13 that drives a gear train consisting of the spur consisting of the gears |19, 12|?, |2|, |22, |23, |24 '4 and |25 for driving the carbon applying rolls 23,

the transfer rolls til and M, the vibrator rolls.

33 and 39, the transfer roll 31 and the carbon receiving roll 3d. Thus it will be seen that all of the mechanism of the carbon applying unit 25 is driven in synchronism. The rotation ofthe carbon applying unit 25 about the pivot 21 is insuicient to separate the mesh between the spur gears |13 and H9 so that the drive connection is never lost. i

The vibrator rolls 38 and 39' are adapted to be reciprocatedl axially by means of a crank arm |26 (Figure 6) that is pivotally mounted upon the ears |21 extending from the frame of the carbon applying unit 25. The crank arm is provided with pins t28 that engage annular grooves |29 in the vibrator rolls 33 and 39. A yoke 13b on the crank arm |26 engages an eccentric 83| (see Figs. 4 and 8) rotatably carried upon the shaft |32 for the 'carbon receiving roll 311i. The eccentric |3| has a spur gear |33 integral therewith that meshes with a pinion i3d carried upon a stub shaft |35. The pinion |36 is integral with a spur gear |36 that meshes with a pinion |31 secured to the shaft '|32 by means of a pin |38, whereby the eci centric |39 is slowly driven to oscillate the crank arm |28 and thus reciprocate the vibrator rolls axially. Reciprocation of the vibrator rolls 38 and 39 spreads the liquid carbon upon the transfer rolls 31., to and d! so that the carbon is more evenly distributed upon thesurface of the carbon..

applying rolls 28.

A typical workpiece having carbon spots applied thereto is shown. in, Fig. 9 wherein the car-V bon spots |39 and |40 have been applied to the sheet 16 in two different areas. The length of the carbon spots |39 and |40 is controlled vby the length of the cam segments 89 as previously described. The transverse position of the carbon spots |39 and |00 upon the sheet l5 is regulated by axial adjustment of the carbon applying rollers 28 upon the shaft 29 that support the same. The width of the carbon spot is regulated by the Width of the carbon applying roll. Thus it may be seen that the spots can be applied at any location upon a sheet and they may be of any width or length desired.

There may be times when a paper sheet 'l5 does not enter between the feed roll It and the pressure applying roll 58 in the proper manner and under such condition the carbon on the rollers 28 would smear the face of the impression roller 55 and spoil sheets subsequently treated. To prevent this from happening the shaft e is movable axially so that the bell crank lever 93 and the lever 90 can be moved out of engagement with the frame members 23 and 2li of the carbon applying unit and thus prevent actuation of the unit when the cam segments 09 engage the roller The shaft 94 is slidable in the frame l0 and is provided with a spring |4| around one end thereof retained between the frame I0 and the collar |42 so that the spring urges the shaft in a downward direction as viewed in Fig. 2. A collar |63 limits the movement of the shaft 96|. A bell crank lever |04 is pivoted by -a pin |46 upon the frame I0 and has the end |46 in engagement with the end of the shaft 96 and the opposite end connected to a rod l'l. The rod Id'l is connected to a bell crank lever |58 pivoted at |09 and having a handle |60 for operating the bell crank lever |6l8 and thus the bell crank lever |45 to move theV shaft 94 upwardly as viewed in Fig. 2 when desired.

The machine that has been described thus far is particularly adaptable for use in applying carbon spots on individual sheets of paper. Each sheet of paperfis fed against the stop pin 83 and is thus properly located for passage through the y carbon applying unit of the machine. The carbon applying unit is capable of being used as one of the units in a series of paper handling units wherein a continuous web may be printed, perforated, creased, carbon applied thereon, folded, stacked, etc. The carbon apparatus of this invention performs one of a series of operations on a continuous web.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic machine for performing a series of operations upon a continuous web, one of which is the carbon applying operation performed by the machine of this invention. In this modification the frame |60 supports a plurality of paper handling units |6| and the carbon applying apparatus |62 of this invention. A con- 'tinuous web |63 is fed or pulled through the paper handling unit |6| and the carbon applying apparatus |62, and as shown in this modification, the web passes over a roll |64 to a receiving roll |65. The carbon applying apparatus |62 isidenscribed except that the continuous chain |09a for driving between the cam 90 and the cam 80 is somewhat longer to permit adjustment oi the carbon applying unit 25a with respect to the cam 90 so that slight variations in location of the carbon spot on the continuous web can be adjusted. An idler pulley |56 is provided to retain tension upon the endless chain I08a. The carbon applytical with the carbon apparatus previously de- A ing unit 25a is adjustable upon the frame i60 by means of an adjusting screw |67. An electric motor |58 drives a shaft |69 through a, chain and spur gear |'|0 for driving the paper handling units 16| by means of the shafts and the carbon applying apparatus |62 by means of the shaft |12. The operation of the carbon applying apparatus |62 is identical with the operation of the apparatus heretofore described.

This application is a division of our co-pending application, Serial No. 447,850. for Method and apparatus for applying carbon to sheets, filed June 20,1942.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. That method of applying liquid carbon to predetermined areas only of. 9. strip of material comprising, translating the strip at a given speed. positively and continuously rotating a carbon transfer means adjacent the path of said strip so that its surface speed is equal to that of said strip, moving said transfer means into contact with said moving strip in timed relation to the spatial position thereof to apply carbon to the desired area, and suddenly 'withdrawing said transfer means when the predetermined area has been covered.

2. A method for applying coating to predeterminedly spaced recurring areas only of a moving strip, comprising, moving said strip linearly along a direction parallel with that determined by said recurring areas, positively and continuously rotating a coating transfer surface adjacent and in alignment with the line of recurring areas at a surface speed equal to that of said strip and in the same direction of motion as'said strip, positively moving said surface into and out of contact with said strip in timed relation to the spatial movement thereof dependent upon the loy tially equal to the total time said surface and strip are in coating contact.

3. That method of applying coating to aligned,

' regularly-recurring areas only of a strip, comprising; moving said strip at a given linear speed in a direction determined by the direction of said aligned areas, positively rotating a coating transfer surface adjacent, in the same direction, and in contact with said strip, at a surface speed substantlally equal to that of said strip and positively and instantaneously moving said transfer surface out of contact with said strip in predetermined timed relation with the movement thereof, to form aligned coated areas interspersed with uncoated areas in the' desired linearly-spaced relation and extent.

4. That process of applying carbon in spot areas to a strip of paper, comprising, moving said strip at a uniform rate parallel to the direction determined by successive spots in the same line, simultaneously positively rotating a carbon transfer element at a substantially like surface speed adjacent said strip, in the same direction as said strip and in a plane normal to said strip and containing said line, and intermittently shifting said transfer element into and out of contact with said strip, in timed relation to the movement thereof, to apply carbon to the desired areas of said strip.

JAMES A. LA HA'IIE. ROBERT B. SMITH. 

